Why Movie Theaters Are Dead (And Why That's Okay)

#MovieTheaters have been having a rough time lately, and while I don't think Film as a medium is done-- not by a long shot-- it's important that we recognize that the way in which we consume media is changing, and that includes movies.

I can't say I want to see theaters go quietly into that good night, but at the end of the day they're simply not as accessible as streaming services are, and when it comes to media, and art as a whole, accessibility is far more important than ticket sales.

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#JoshWegwerth

[faithmac]

so i’ve actually had this video sitting in my watch later playlist for a while, and then realized that you edit for Nick, but i just wanted to say that i really enjoyed the video and i can already tell that you are going to be a really well spoken commentary youtuber! keep up the great work!

[jameswarden]

i'm glad ur brain has these thoughts and they can be transmitted into mine bcz i haven't wondered about straight to streaming movies before and how it would impact movie theatres. keep it up man

[leftoverlemons]

It’s also important to consider that movie theaters aren’t nessesarily accessible to everyone. Most screenings don’t have closed captioning. It can be sensory overwhelming for some people. They don’t always disclose flashing lights, and there isn’t a way to fast forward if the scene is too flashy for photosensitive viewers. For some people, it will always be a better option to view the media at home.

[JoshWegwerth]

oh look a video. and a comment section. this is crazy

[ilovejestserendipity]

The other issue with West Side Story is they cast someone with child pr*dator allegations as the male lead for an age gap relationship. Either way, love your videos! You're awesome!!

[strooli_]

hey! I saw that you edited nicks latest video and i thought you were rlly funny so i decided to check you out :D

[leftoverlemons]

I’d say that I don’t think movie theaters are dying, they are just shifting.

There are quite a few movies that feel made to be on the big screen. Star Wars, how to train your dragon, WALL·E and so on. These are movies that look best when the screen is really big.

Home streaming services aren’t going to replace going to a movie theater. In the same way cable TV didn’t kill movie theaters, and how DVD didn’t kill movie theaters. I think they’ll probably stay around for a while.

What I predict is a resurgence in showing classic movies that work well with the big screen. This is already happening in a few theaters, where they put on older films and audiences can go see Labyrinth or something.

Going to the movies is an event. It’s a thing where grandparents take their grandchildren, or where teenagers go see stuff with their friends.

At the same time, the screen is adapting. Harry Potter has a show where an orchestra plays alongside the films. Seeing a film in IMAX 3D is insane, but it’s also cool- especially when the film has tons of unique effects that utilize the 3D.

Cinema won’t die, it just needs to change.

[AyeDaniels]

I feel like there's a lot of parallels between the "Theatre to streaming release" shift and the "long form to short form content" shift. Like in long form content, it's easy to track money and numbers, just like it is with theatre releases. In short form content, you can only really track the number of users coming to your platform, which makes it harder to allocate budgets and money.

[Splishbie]

Adam Sandler’s library has arguablyyyy some of the best films of all time 😂😂. At first I was bummed about the straight to streaming thing- but I like your thoughts on accessibility. Can confirm I am watching this on my phone. - I do like to regularly go to the movies alone and it’s unfortunate that COVID has made that kind of an uncomfortable thing.

Also, I like the standing - it makes this feel like a ted talk.